The “Kazoo Ensemble,” whose members are residents of Brookdale Senior Living’s Brookdale Galleria continuing care retirement community in Houston, has entertained people at hospitals, schools, day care centers, parks, senior centers, churches, synagogues and other places since it was founded in 2011.
“We started the kazoo band for the fun of it, for something to do,” said resident Naomi Friedman. At 97, she is the oldest of 12 members, most of whom are former physicians, astrophysicists and mathematicians. The youngest member is 64.
The group also has been featured in a short film, “Ode to Joy,” which won second place in the Hammer to Nail Short Film Contest and was screened at several film festivals in 2018.
The film, produced by Friedman’s grandson, Michael Koshkin, celebrates the band members’ talents and escapades and also highlights the importance of social interaction for older adults.
“It was very apparent that the need to socialize and feel a part of something was what brought the band together,” Koshkin said. “It gave them something to look forward to and be excited about.”
Band members hope to make it on to “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”
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